Tilting mixing machine



Oct. 18, 1949. J. c. LuKAs TILTING MIXING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet l FiledApril 9, 1947 J`.C.LUKAS IN VEN TOR.

Oct. 18,- 1949. J. c. I UKAs 2,485,302

TILTING MIXING' MACHINE Filed April 9,- 1.947 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

wiwi 1j J1 |v vm mui m 31C.. LUKAs J. C. LUKAS TILTING MIXING MACHINEOct. 18, 1949.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 9, 1947 l l 1 l 1 l 1 l l l l l l n lJ'.C.LUKAS INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 18, 1949 mesne assignments, to WorthingtoniPunrp .andMachinery'Corporatiom Harrison, N. J., a corporationfof DelawarevApplication 'April t9, 1947,5S1ialfNo. 740,364

'2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to mixing machines-and, in particular, refers tothe type in which the .drum may be independently tilted :and rotated.

The primary object oi this invention isv to provide an inexpensive yethighly versatile mixing unit lin which a normally vertical mixing drummaybe rotated and tilted either simultaneously or independently.

Another object is to provide a mixing machine in which the depth of themateriallloeing mixed can be varied without varying the angleof thetilt.

A further object isto provide novel-means for introducing uid into theinterior of the drum.

This machine is particularly usefulffor mixing or coating ingredients inthe food, candy, and drug industries. It may also be used to advantagefor tumbling, burnishing, polishing, and -allied operations requiringagitated movement of `a quantity of discrete articles.

With these and other objects in view, as may appear from theaccompanying specification, the invention consists of various featuresof construction and combination of parts, which will be first describedin connection with the accompanying drawings, showing a tilting mixingmachine of a preferred form embodying the inventiomand the featuresforming the invention'will be specifically pointed out in the claims.

n the drawings:

Figure 1 is an enlarged view, partly in section, taken along the linel-I of Figure 3 .in which one segment gear and the driving gear.therefor .are removed from the device.

Figure 2 is a side elevation takenfromtheright of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation taken lfrom the left of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a vertical section of aportion cfa slightly modified form ofthe mixer showing the uid feeding means.

Figure 5 is a side elevation partly in section showing the telescopingmixing drum.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the improved mixing machinehas `a `frame `I with vertical side sections overhangin-g -a basesection. The laterally spaced coaxial bearing wbrackets V2 are attachedto the upper terminal portions of the side sections to furnish a pivotalaxis for the mixing vessel. Trunnion brackets 3 and -4 arebolted to ayoke member 5 and journalled into bearing brackets 2, as shown in`Figure 1, to pivotally attach the .yoke-5 to the `frame I.

The yoke :"5 lprovides a normally vertical laxis iof `rotation for thedrum by means of its centrally disposed tubular bearing housing 6With'vertically spaced thrust :bearings .1 and f8 therein and alubricant chamber Siwhich is sealed by suitable means .at the loottomvofthehousing 6. Thebentrai cylindrical boss 111B vof a circular ltable 'His rotatably seated on bearing 1 in the upper por# tion of housing t.Seatedrflush with the surface of the table H is Aa spindle |22 iwhichextends through 'the boss lll and the rbearings '1 and 8. Thelowerendof'the .spindle -IAZiS-thleaded yand has a nut l 3 attached thereto`abutting the bearing Sto-prevent rverticalril-ay or movement along theaxis of rotation and to properly seat the table l I. The .mixingdrum M,which maybe of any desired construction, is removablyattached totheftable i 11| vby suitable meanssuch as the bolts l5 extending throughthe top and/or the peripheral'a-nge :Wfofthetable'lfl v`and engaginglugs on the bottom of the drum-or a flange thereon. The drum could'obviously also .be attached by Various clamping -schemes'o'r by welding.'The drum is provided with vpermanent or removable vmixingblades-('not'shown) as iscommon in the art.

A ring bevel gear H is suitably attached'to the ange `{l-'of the tableand-is driven by arpnion lgeari'. The interior of the trunnion 4 hasthrust bearings `f'and Ill-fand a lubricant chamber 2l formotatablymounting the pinion |8 and a driving sprocket 22 which are keyed toa'spindle 23 coaxial with the bearings 2.

Power forrotation of the table and drum I4 is transmitted by suitablemeans 24 from-a motor 25 tothe `driving"sprocket 22.; from sprocket 22through-the spindle 23 to the pinion I 8; and from pinion ito bevel gearI1 tothe table. I I.

The yoke, table, and drum are tiltedbymeans ofvertioal segment gearszli`which are bolted to the sides of theyoke. 'To facilitate illustrationonly one such gear is'shown in Figure 1, the other gear/beingattachedina .similar manner on the opposite sideand `driven by a pinion 28 on theVcross-shaft 2l. 'Power istransmitted to pinions ZBtan'dfthe cr-ossshaft 21 by the motor 2-9 through suitable transmission means 3d whichinclude a wor-m and Wheel or irreversible gearing 3l to'prevent.tiltingdueto the weight .of thedrum. The pinions 2-8-.engagei-thesegmentgears 26 and by rotating rthemca-use tilting of the lyoke 5, andattached members, aboutthe horizontal axis of thefbearingbrackets :2.The segment .gears 26 have ladjustable stops 32v xed ony their `sideswhich engage suitable-stops (not shown) lon-.the

frame to limit the degree to which the unit may be tilted.

Since the pinion I8 for rotating the drum is coaxial with the axis aboutwhich the drum pivots, it is apparent that it may be rotated regardlessof its tilt. This feature makes it possible to provide common electricalcontrols associated with the stops 32 and motors 25 and 29 toautomatically tilt the drum while it is rotating. By varying the speedof tilting and` speed of rotation, the agitated motion of the articleswithin the drum may lbe altered. In the drawings, however,

.the controls for each motor are simply the switches 33 and 34 so thattilting is manually controlled.

The motors 25 and 29 as well as transmission means 24 and 3D and crossshaft 2'I may be easily mounted by conventional methods on the frame I.While two motors are preferred, it is apparent that one motor could beemployed to furnish power for tilting and rotating the drum I4 by arearrangement of the power transmission means 24 and 30.

The embodiment of Figures 4l and 5 has exactly the same rotatingandtilting means as that of Figures l to 3. However, this embodiment alsoincludes uid feeding means and a telescopic mixing drum.

The fluid feeding means includes a spray pipe or tubular conduit 40which is mounted inside the hollow spindle I2a. The pipe 4d is ofsubstantial length and extends through opening 42 Well up into the drum59 as shown in Figure 5. The packing 4I prevents reverse flow of uidfrom the drum through opening 42. The packing 4I and the nut I3a ttightly around the pipe so as to inhibit undesired sliding movement;though by loosening them the pipe can be withdrawn from or furtherinserted into the drum. The nut I3a performs the same function withrespect to the spindle Illa as the nut I3 previously described and thespindle I2a is mounted in the bearing housing 6 in the same manner asillustrated and described in connection with Figure l. Other equivalentmeans may of course be used to prevent sliding of the pipe 4D.

The spray pipe 4I] extends out through the bottom of the spindle I2a andhousing 6 Where it is coupled at 43 to a flexible hose 44. The coupling43 is of a conventional type which permits relative rotation of the hose44 and the pipe 40, since, in this embodiment, the pipe rotates with thedrum 5I) while the hose 44 is not rotatable. It is to be understood, ofcourse, that this feature could be inodiiied so that the pipe isstationary by the common expedient of inserting bearings between thepipe and the rotatable spindle I2a and drum 5U.

As indicated in Figure 5 the flexible hose permits tilting of the drumand spray pipe 40 while at the same time connecting the pipe to a sourceof fluid (not shown). The hose 44 is of sufficient length to permit thedesired arc of tilting. The spray pipe 4I! has a closed end 45 so thatthe iiuid is forced out through a multiplicity of perforations 4S in thewall of that portion .of the pipe #i which is inside of the drum S.

The telescopic drum I] is made up of three concentric annular shells 5I,52, and 53 which slip one inside the other. The bottom shell 5I isadapted in the same manner as drum I4 for attachment to the table II.The intermediate shell 52 is substantially cylindrical and the uppershell 53 is substantially frustro-conical having a mouth or charging anddischarging opening 54.

Each of the shells have radially extending annular flanges 55 soarranged that when the drum is collapsed or only partially extended theymay be bolted together as at 56. The shells are held in their extendedor partially extended positions by means of bolts, as shown at 51, whichjoin the cylindrical Walls through mating holes therein.

It is .obvious that the drum can be made of any desired number ofconcentric shells and that they can be so constructed and arranged thatthe innermost shell 5I is of the smallest diameter rather than thelargest diameter as shown.

The telescopic drum 5i] makes it possible to vary the pressure onarticles 58 within the drum. By extending the drum the depth of a givenquantity of articles 58 will be reduced when the drum is tilted, hencethe pressure on the articles will be reduced. In treating soft articlessuch as candies this feature is particularly advantageous since iteleminates crushing of the articles at the bottom due to the weight ofthose above.

The hose 44 and spray pipe 4,0 may be used to supply various iluids tothe drum. For example, refrigerated air for cooling purposes orhardenable syrup for coating candies may be pumped into the drum; orfine sand may be blown into the drum for blasting and cleaning metalarticles. In the latter case, of course, the wear resistance of the pipe40 would have to be increased by suitable inserts in the holes 45. Thetelescopic drum facilitates cooling and other operations by providing agreater surface area of the mass of articles. In the event thatdifferent fluids are required at various intervals ,during theprocessing of articles within the drum, the Supply of iluids can becontrolled by means of a suitable valve (not shown) as is commonknowledge.

It is to be understood that the specific construction recited heretoforemaybe widely modifled within the spirit of the invention dened by theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a mixing machine, a supporting frame, a yoke pivotally carried bysaid frame for pivotal movement on a horizontal axis, a tubular bearinghousing carried by said yoke, bearings in said bearing housing, avertical spindle rotatably supported by said bearings for rotation abouta vertical axis, a circular table carried by the upper end of saidspindle, a depending annular flange on said circular table, a mixingdrum, a depending annular flange on said mixing drum and engaging aboutsaid table carried flange, means connecting said table to said drumcarried ange, a ring gear carried by said table carried flange, andmeans connected to said ring gear for rotating said drum about avertical axis.

2. In a mixing machine, a supporting frame, a yoke pivotally carried bysaid frame for pivotal movement on a horizontal axis, a tubular bearinghousing carried by said yoke, bearings in said bearing housing, avertical spindle rotatably supported by said bearings for rotation abouta vertical axis, a circular table carried by the upper end of saidspindle, a depending annular flange on said circular table, a mixingdrum, a depending annular flange on said mixing drum and engaging aboutsaid table carried flange, means connecting said table to said drumcarried flange, a ring gear carried by said table carried flange, amotor carried by said frame, power transmitting means connecting saidmotor to said ring gear for rotating said drum, a second motor carriedby said frame, and power transmitting means Number JOSEPH C. LUKAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

'UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Glassgow Mar. 15, 1859 Ehrenhardt June28, 1932 Rybeck Jan. 28, 1936 Purkett Jan. l2, 1937 Robbins Nov. 23,1937 Muckle;7 Mar. 26, 1946

